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Traveling exhibition: No Home To Go To – The Story of Baltic Displaced Persons, 1944-1952

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Traveling exhibition: No Home To Go To – The Story of Baltic Displaced Persons, 1944-1952

The exhibit, “NO HOME TO GO TO: THE STORY OF BALTIC DISPLACED PERSONS, 1944-1952” was on display at the UN. Show continues at NY Public Library until December 31.

 

Photos of Valdas Adamkus, former President of the Republic of Lithuania, were on display in the exhibit, “NO HOME TO GO HOME TO: THE STORY OF BALTIC DISPLACED PERSONS. l944-1952.” This traveling exhibition was organized by the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, and presented at UN Headquarters, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations in New York. The exhibit will continue at the NY Public Library until December 31, 2016. UN Photo/Michelle Poire.

Photos of Valdas Adamkus, former President of the Republic of Lithuania, were on display in the exhibit, “NO HOME TO GO HOME TO: THE STORY OF BALTIC DISPLACED PERSONS. l944-1952.” This traveling exhibition was organized by the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, and presented at UN Headquarters, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations in New York. The exhibit will continue at the NY Public Library until December 31, 2016. UN Photo/Michelle Poire.

 

The exhibit “NO HOME TO GO TO: THE STORY OF BALTIC DISPLACED PERSONS, 1944-1952”, officially opened at UN Headquarters in New York on August 23 followed by a reception.

The exhibit was presented by the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations in New York.

The exhibit was on view at the United Nations August 15-26. 2016 in the curved wall area on the first floor, the UN Secretariat Building.

Following its showing at the United Nations in New York, the exhibit, “No Home To Go To: The Story of Baltic Displaced Persons, 1944-1952” will be on display from October 7 – December 31, 2016, at the Science, Industry, and Business Library, l88 Madison Avenue at 34th Street in New York City” according to the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, Illinois.

As stated in the description of the exhibit, “NO HOME TO GO TO:THE STORY OF BALTIC DISPLACED PERSONS, 1944-1952”: Fleeing battle fronts and fearing persecution, thousands of civilians continue to seek asylum in neighboring countries. Families, many with small children, seek safety and a better life. They languish in makeshift communities where food and accommodations are minimal and relief is hard to come by. Their plight is creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

The above description appears to capture what is happening in today’s world. Yet these words describe what occurred more than seventy year ago, when displaced persons in Europe fled their homes and uprooted their lives in the last year of World War II because of approaching Soviet forces.

Shown here is former Latvian President, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, addressing the fifty seventh session of the UN General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 12, 2002. Vaira Vike- Freiberga, is pictured in the “NO HOME TO GO TO” exhibit, in the section on the Restoration of Independence. UN Photo/Mchelle Poire.

Shown here is former Latvian President, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, addressing the fifty seventh session of the UN General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 12, 2002.
Vaira Vike- Freiberga, is pictured in the “NO HOME TO GO TO” exhibit, in the section on the Restoration of Independence. UN Photo/Mchelle Poire.

 

“No Home To Go To” is a traveling exhibition organized by the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, Illinois, and was developed in collaboration with the Chicago Estonian House, the Latvian Folk Art Museum, and the Lithuanian Emigration Institute of Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania.

It documented the earlier refugee crisis though the memories, documents, photographs, and memorabilia of families and individuals who lived through the experience of fleeing their homeland, living in displaced persons camps, and finally finding a new home in a new land. Wherever it is presented, the exhibition organizers featured additional insights and materials from former displaced persons and encouraged the recording of these experiences through a physical and on-line survey.

These responses and additional materials can be reached at the following website www.balzekasmuseum.org.

Pictured is the President of the Republic of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves. addressing the opening of the high level plenary meeting of the General Assembly known as the World Conference of Indigenous Peoples which focused attention on the Finno-Ugric peoples. Biographical information and photos of President Ilves during the Restoration of Independence was highlighted at this exhibit. UN Photo/ Cia Pak.

Pictured is the President of the Republic of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves. addressing the opening of the high level plenary meeting of the General Assembly known as the World Conference of Indigenous Peoples which focused attention on the Finno-Ugric peoples. Biographical information and photos of President Ilves during the Restoration of Independence was highlighted at this exhibit. UN Photo/ Cia Pak.

 

Venues for the exhibit, “NO HOME TO GO TO” from 2014 through 2016” included: The Balzeckas Museum  of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, Illinois, Daley Plaza in Chicago, Illinois, Vytautas Magnus University,  Kaunas, Lithuania, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania, Washington, D.C., Zion Latvian Lutheran Church, Chicago, Illinois, Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library, Kaunas, Lithuania, Estonian House,  Riverwoods, Illinois, Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania, Free Library of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lithuanian Museum Archives of Canada, Mississauga ON, Canada, and the Science, Industrial and Business Library, NY Public Library Division, New York City.

The programs are partially supported by grants from the following organizations: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Illinois Arts Council, Kazickas Family Foundation, Lithuanian Foundation, Illinois Humanities Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in Chicago, Illinois, Women’s Guild of the Balzeckas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, Latvian Foundation, Cultural Foundation of the World Federation of Free Latvians, National Archives of Estonia, and private donors.

Ann Charles
Ann Charles is UN Bureau Chief of "Baltic Review" based in New York City. She covers diplomatic activities at United Nations Headquarters in New York and the world body's work in human rights, education, culture, the environment, and tourism, among other global concerns.

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